Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
high |
Land-mass type |
shelf island
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: The only population estimate is based on two pairs inhabiting 14 km2 at Crater Mountain. Extrapolation suggests a total population of 21,000 pairs (Mack and Wright 1998), which may be placed in the range 20,000-49,999 mature individuals. However, this may have been an overestimate as the Crater Mountain birds sometimes foraged elsewhere, the species is atypically common at this site and is absent from many hunted areas (Mack and Wright 1998). Conversely, it may be an underestimate by not accounting for substantial populations at lower altitudes (B. Beehler in litt. 2000).
Trend justification: While this species is under significant hunting pressure for feathers, and to a lesser extent trade and meat, this varies geographically and much of its range is away from human populations. Hunting for feathers has increased with population growth. It has been extirpated from large areas, especially in Papua New Guinea (Coates 1985, Beehler et al. 1986, K. D. Bishop in litt. 1994, Mack and Wright 1998). However, in Papua New Guinea these declines appear to have been largely historical and localised to centres of population such as around Tabubil, where it rapidly declined after development of a large mine and town (K. D. Bishop in litt. 1994, Gregory 1995). The species has probably been extirpated from the Karimui Plateau, where hunting pressure has been intense for at least 50 years but remains uncommon on the slopes of Mt Karimui (Freeman and Freeman 2014). Current rates of decline due to hunting are uncertain but could be relatively minor, and the species appears secure in large areas of suitable habitat in central and western mainland Papua New Guinea, much of which occurs in rugged terrain in areas with a low human population density (I. Woxvold per G. Dutson in litt. 2016). Across mainland Papua New Guinea, 1.2% of forest was lost plus 2.4% logged between 2002-2014 (Bryan and Shearman 2015) but encounter rates for the species are often similar in logged forest (I. Woxvold per G. Dutson in litt. 2016). The population trend is tentatively assessed to be a moderately rapid decline (within the range of 30-49% over 3 generations [27 years]), though further information could suggest that it is lower than this.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Pesquet's Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/pesquets-parrot-psittrichas-fulgidus on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.